Despite the peak hilsa season, fishermen in the Payra River area are struggling due to a significant decline in hilsa catches. Submerged chars at the river’s estuary and waste discharge from a nearby thermal power plant obstruct the natural tidal flow, preventing hilsa from entering and breeding in the river. This has severely impacted the livelihoods of over 14,000 coastal fishermen. Experts and locals are demanding urgent dredging of the submerged chars and better management of thermal plant waste to restore the river’s ecosystem.